lil' kim really birthed this ENTIRE generation of female rappers. She’s literally the blueprint of everyone’s concept of a female rapper is, the colorful wigs, the sexual image, the p0rnographic lyrics, the sassy attitude...
never forget that 19 years old lil’ kim sat on stage with her mother in 1997 to be questioned & judged for her lyrics and image. she sat, so your faves could walk
in 2000, lil' kim and mary j blige collabs with mac cosmetics to help raise funds for people suffering from hiv and aids. they ended raising $4 million dollars making the biggest fund in the campaign histoy.
during that year, lil' kim begans working with the "grandfather of ballroom" hector xtravaganza, who was in charge of designing her colorful coats at that time.
"gay people love it when a person goes over the top, when a person shows that they don't care and they like people with confidence. [...] they love people who are stars because, you know, they're stars." - lil' kim on why she appeals to gay people so much.
in 1999, lil' kim covers the dec issue of
@outmagazine
with the headline: "why hip-hop's nasty girl wants to be a gay icon."
this was the first time a hip hop artist was covered on a gay magazine.
in 1999, they collaborated on 'bad girls' a remake of donna summer's classic song, which was intended for her second album but couldn't make it to the final cut due to sample clearing issues.
lil' kim its asked to present the avant-garde designer of the year to alexander mcqueen at 1999 vogue fashion awards.
both being from totally opposite worlds, this moment is recalled one of the first steps that leaded hip hop acts and gay fashion designers approach to each other
lil' kim was one of the few rappers to be vocally open about hiv and aid issue during this era. having lost friends to that, kim says she was eager to have a rapper join the cause.